MAITREYA,
IT SHOULD BE KNOWN THAT ALL OF THOSE BUDDHAS, FROM THE FIRST TO THE LAST,
HAD THE SAME NAME, BRIGHTNESS OF SUN-MOON-LAMP, AND WERE COMPLETE WITH THE
TEN TITLES, AND THAT THE DHARMA THEY SPOKE WAS GOOD AT ITS BEGINNING,
MIDDLE, AND END.

BEFORE
THE LAST BUDDHA LEFT THE HOME LIFE HE HAD EIGHT ROYAL SONS. THE FIRST WAS
NAMED INTENTION; THE SECOND, GOOD INTENTION; THE THIRD, LIMITLESS
INTENTION; THE FOURTH, PRICELESS INTENTION; THE FIFTH, INCREASING
INTENTION; THE SIXTH, INTENTION RID OF DOUBT; THE SEVENTH, RESOUNDING
INTENTION; AND THE EIGHTH, DHARMA INTENTION. THE EIGHT PRINCES WERE OF
AWESOME VIRTUE AND SELF-MASTERY AND EACH RULED OVER FOUR CONTINENTS.

WHEN
THE PRINCES HEARD THAT THEIR FATHER HAD LEFT THE HOME LIFE AND ATTAINED
ANUTTARASAMYAKSAMBODHI, THEY ALL RENOUNCED THEIR ROYAL POSITIONS AND LEFT
HOME AS WELL. THEY BROUGHT FORTH THE RESOLVE FOR THE GREAT VE­HICLE AND
CONSTANTLY CULTIVATED BRAHMAN CONDUCT. ALL BECAME DHARMA MASTERS, HAVING
ALREADY, IN THE PRESENCE OF TEN MILLION BUDDHAS, PLANTED THE ROOTS OF
GOODNESS.

Commentary:

There
were two thousand Buddhas by the name of BRIGHTNESS OF SUN-MOON-LAMP. They
also had the same surname: BHARADVAJA. The Sanskrit word Bharadvaja may be
interpreted as "rapid,"1 because they were able to become Buddhas
very quickly.

-----------------

1.

It may also be interpreted as "sharp-rooted,"1
because they were extremely intelligent and wise. Where did their wisdom
and intelligence come from? It came from the cultivation of all manner of
Dharma-doors. They studied the Sutras and read and recited the Great
Vehicle writings, so their name means "sharp-rooted." It may
also be said to mean "full-speech."2 Their speech was complete;
they expressed doctrines in their entirety; what they said was all in
accord with the Buddhadharma. These are the three meanings of
Bharadvaja.

MAITREYA,
IT SHOULD BE KNOWN! Manjusri Bodhisattva says, "Maitreya Bodhisattva,
Bodhisattva invincible, you ought to know THAT ALL OF THOSE BUDDHAS, FROM
THE FIRST TO THE LAST, from the first Buddha by the name of Brightness of
Sun-Moon-Lamp to the last Buddha by the name of Brightness of
Sun-Moon-Lamp, the last of the twenty thousand Buddhas, all had the same
name. AND they WERE COMPLETE WITH THE TEN TITLES. The name Brightness of
Sun-Moon-Lamp is a specific name. The ten titles are common names given to
all the Buddhas of the ten directions. They are Thus Come One, One Worthy
of Offerings, One of Proper and Universal Knowledge, One of Perfect
Clarity and Conduct, One Well-gone Who Understands the World, An
Unsurpassed Knight, A Hero Who Subdues and Tames, A Teacher of Gods and
Men, The Buddha, The World Honored One. Every Buddha has these ten titles,
these ten common names.

AND
THAT DHARMA WHICH THEY SPOKE WAS GOOD AT ITS BEGINNING, MIDDLE, AND END.
Right up to the last of those Buddhas, all spoke Dharma, which was good at
its beginning, good at its middle, and good at its end. When they first
brought forth the Bodhi-heart and began to cultivate, it was good; in the
middle, while they were cultivating, it was good; and at the very end,
when they became Buddhas, it was also good.

BEFORE
THE LAST HAD LEFT THE HOME LIFE/Before the last of the twenty thousand
Buddhas had left the home life HE HAD EIGHT ROYAL SONS. Sakyamuni Buddha
had one son, Rahula. The last of this series of Buddhas, Brightness of
Sun-Moon-Lamp, had eight sons and each had his own name: THE FIRST WAS
NAMED INTENTION. What is meant by "Intention"? It means that he
had a great heart for the Way, he had brought forth the intention, the
thought, of one with the heart of the Great Vehicle. THE SECOND, GOOD
INTENTION/The second son was called Good Intention because he had no bad
intentions. He had well brought forth the Bodhi-heart, well brought
forth the great heart for the Way, so he was called Good Intention. THE
THIRD, LIMITLESS INTENTION/The name of the third son was Limitless
Intention. He had brought forth an unlimited, great Bodhi-heart for the
Way; this was his intention. THE FOURTH, PRICELESS INTENTION/The name of
the fourth son was Priceless Intention. His dearest, cherished intention
was to bring forth the Bodhi-heart and his own self-nature's most
treasured of intentions, of thoughts, that is: the resolve to strive for
Buddhahood. THE FIFTH, INCREASING INTENTION/What intention was increased?
The intention to bring forth the Bodhi-heart. THE SIXTH, RID OF DOUBT/In
cultivation, only fear that you will have doubts. If you have doubts you
may take the wrong path. So it is said,

-----------------------

1
2

The cultivator's
heart
Should
be free of doubts.
Once
doubt arises, it is
Easy
to take the wrong road.

When
doubting thoughts begin to plague you, in your confusion you may lose
the right road and enter a dangerous path. So you must be free of doubt.
THE SEVENTH, RESOUNDING INTENTION/His cultivation of Great Vehicle
Dharma was like an echo in a mountain valley. Now, if you go into the
mountains and call down into the valley, "Mr. Chang!", the
mountain will echo back, "Mr. Chaanng!" The same applies if you
say "Mr. Liii!" That's an echo. When you bring forth the
Bodhi-heart, the Way heart, it functions like an echo in the valley. You
bring forth the heart and the Buddha knows. THE EIGHTH, DHARMA INTENTION.

THE
EIGHT PRINCES WERE OF AWESOME VIRTUE AND SELF-MASTERY. Each of the sons
was very solemn, dignified, and accomplished in virtuous conduct, AWESOME
VIRTU AND SELF-MASTERY. AND EACH RULED OVER FOUR CONTINENTS. The term
"four continents" refers to a system of one sun, one moon, one
Mount Sumeru, and one set of four continents.

WHEN
THE PRINCES HEARD THAT THEIR FATHER HAD LEFT THE HOME LIFE/When they heard
that their father had already become a monk, a bhiksu, and, on top of
that, a Buddha, AND ATTAINED ANNUTARASAMYAKSAMBODHI, the utmost equal and
proper enlightenment, all eight of them ALL RENOUNCED THEIR ROYAL
POSITIONS/ They didn't become emperors. They gave up their beautiful
consorts and concubines. They didn't want them. They gave up their
kingdoms, cities, wives, and children. They renounced their kingdoms, gave
away their cities, gave away their wives and children AND LEFT HOME AS
WELL. They followed the last of the Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp Buddhas
and left home.

THEY
BROUGHT FORTH THE RESOLVE FOR THE GREAT VEHICLE/They became determined
to seek the Great Vehicle. AND CONSTANTLY CULTIVATED BRAHMAN CONDUCT. They
always cultivated pure Brahman conduct. They cultivated without resting;
they were always vigorous. ALL BECAME DHARMA MASTERS, the eight sons of
the Buddha all became Dharma Masters. They went about everywhere
explaining the Sutras and teaching the Dharma, HAVING ALREADY, IN THE
PRESENCE OF TEN MILLION BUDDHAS, PLANTED THE ROOTS OF GOODNESS, doing all
kinds of good deeds: making offerings to the Triple Jewel, paying
reverence to the Triple Jewel. The eight royal sons cultivated the giving
of offerings and practiced the Bodhisattva conduct, cultivating the
Buddha Way. They brought forth Great Bodhi-hearts.

Sutra:

AT
THAT TIME, THE BUDDHA SUN-MOON-LAMP BRIGHTNESS SPOKE A GREAT VEHICLE SUTRA
NAMED THE LIMITLESS PRINCIPLES, A DHARMA FOR INSTRUCTING BODHISATTVAS OF
WHICH THE BUDDHA IS PROTECTIVE AND MINDFUL. WHEN HE HAD FINISHED SPEAKING
THAT SUTRA, HE THEN, IN THE MIDST OF THE ASSEMBLY, SAT IN FULL LOTUS AND
ENTERED THE SAMADHI OF THE STATION OF LIMITLESS PRINCIPLES; HIS BODY AND
MIND WERE UNMOVING. THEN FROM THE HEAVENS THERE FELL A RAIN OF MANDARAVA
FLOWERS, MAHAMANDARAVA FLOWERS, MANJUSAKA FLOWERS, AND MAHAMANJUSAKA
FLOWERS, WHICH WERE SCATTERED UPON THE BUDDHA AND THE ENTIRE GREAT
ASSEMBLY. ALL THE BUDDHA UNIVERSES QUAKED IN SIX WAYS. AT THAT TIME THE
ENTIRE GREAT ASSEMBLY OF BHIKSHUS, BHIKSHUNIS, UPASAKAS, UPASIKAS, GODS,
DRAGONS, YAKSHAS, GANDHARVAS, ASURAS, GARUDAS, KINNARAS, MAHORAGAS, BEINGS
HUMAN AND NON-HUMAN AS WELL AS THE MINOR KINGS AND THE WHEEL-TURN­ING
SAGE KINGS, AND SO FORTH, ALL ATTAINED WHAT THEY HAD NEVER HAD BEFORE.
THEY REJOICED AND JOINED THEIR PALMS AND, WITH ONE HEART, GAZED UPON THE
BUDDHA. THEN THE THUS COME ONE EMITTED FROM BETWEEN HIS BROWS A WHITE
HAIR-MARK LIGHT WHICH ILLUMINED EIGHTEEN THOUSAND BUDDHA WORLDS TO THE
EAST, OMITTING NONE OF THEM. THEY WERE JUST LIKE ALL THE BUDDHA LANDS NOW
SEEN.

Commentary:

AT
THAT TIME, right then, when the eight princes left home, the last of the
Buddhas named SUN-MOON-LAMP BRIGHTNESS SPOKE A GREAT VEHICLE SUTRA, NAMED
the Sutra of THE LIMITLESSPRINCIPLES. This Sutra is A DHARMA door FOR
INSTRUCTING all the BODHISATTVAS OF WHICH THE BUDDHA IS PROTECTIVE AND
MINDFUL. All the Buddhas are protective and mindful of it.

WHEN HE HAD FINISHED
SPEAKING THAT SUTRA, when the Buddha Sun-Moon-Lamp Brightness was through
speaking THE SUTRA OF LIMITLESS PRINCIPLES, HE THEN, IN THE MIDST OF THE
GREAT ASSEMBLY, he was right in the assembly of Bhikshus, Bhikshunis,
Upasakas, Upasikas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats, SAT IN FULL LOTUS, drew both
of his legs into the full lotus position AND ENTERED THE SAMADHI, the
concentra­tion, OF THE STATION OF LIMITLESS PRINCIPLES; HIS BODY AND MIND
WERE UNMOVING. This passage has already been explained in detail and we
can merely read through it here without discussing it further.

When
the Buddha entered the Samadhi of the Station of Limitless Principles, his
body did not move and his mind did not move. His unmoving state of body
and mind is an indication that he had attained concentration.

THEN
FROM THE HEAVENS THERE FELL A RAIN/It looked like rain, but it wasn't
water. What was it? It was a rain OF MANDARAVA FLOWERS, little white
flowers, and MAHAMANDARAVA FLOWERS, big white flowers. The white flowers,
large and small, fell together in profusion, filling the air with a
delectable fragrance. The ground was completely carpeted with flowers.
It also rained MANJUSAKA FLOWERS, small red flowers, and MAHAMANJUSAKA
FLOWERS, big red flowers. These four kinds of flowers represent the four
sets of positions: the Ten Abodes, the Ten Practices, the Ten
Dedications, and the Ten Grounds, these fruit positions. WHICH WERE
SCATTERED UPON THE BUDDHA AND everyone present in THE ENTIRE GREAT Dharma
ASSEMBLY.

ALL
THE BUDDHA UNIVERSES, as many great trichiliocosms as the grains of sand
in the Ganges, QUAKED IN SIX WAYS: banging, roaring, cracking, shaking,
rising, and surging.

THE
ENTIRE GREAT ASSEMBLY OF BHIKSHUS, BHIKSHUNIS, UPASAKAS, UPASIKAS, the
fourfold assembly of disciples; GODS, DRAGONS, YAKSHAS, that is, ghosts!
GANDHARVAS, the music spirits in the court of the Jade Emperor, ASURAS...
Today in the lecture on the VAJRA SUTRA it was explained that the word
asura means "ugly," and "without wine." GARUDAS are
the great golden-winged P'eng birds. KINNARAS are also music spirits in
the court of the Jade Emperor. MAHORAGAS are big snakes, big
pythons. AS WELL AS THE MINOR KINGS, kings of small countries, AND THE
WHEEL-TURNING SAGE KINGS AND SO FORTH, And so forth means that there are a
lot more than the above-mentioned names, but not all of them have been
listed separately. Everyone present ATTAINED WHAT THEY HAD NEVER HAD
BEFORE.
They had never seen or heard anything like it before. They saw what they
had never seen and heard what they had never heard. Now, seeing and
hearing, THEY REJOICED AND JOINED THEIR PALMS. Seeing the Buddha
Sun-Moon-Lamp Brightness display such spiritual penetrations, everyone was
happy. They put their palms together AND, WITH ONE HEART, GAZED UPON THE
BUDDHA. They were single-minded as they looked at the Buddha.

THEN
THE THUS COME ONE, the Buddha Sun-Moon-Lamp Brightness, also EMITTED FROM
BETWEEN HIS BROWS A WHITE HAIR-MARK LIGHT WHICH ILLUMINED EIGHTEEN
THOUSAND BUDDHA WORLDS TO THE EAST, from that Buddha world across Buddha
worlds eighteen thousand in number. The Buddha worlds here represent the
eighteen realms. The quakings mentioned earlier represent the six sense
organs quaking. The six sense organs plus the six sense realms plus the
six consciousnesses make eighteen realms. So, the Buddha emitted light
shining across eighteen thousand Buddha worlds, which represent the
eighteen realms. OMITTING NONE OF THEM. There was no place in which
there was a Buddha where the light did not reach; it reached them all.

JUST
LIKE ALL THE BUDDHA LANDS NOW SEEN. It is just like the portent of light,
which Shakyamuni Buddha now emits from the white hair mark illumining all
the Buddha lands.

Sutra:

MAITREYA,
IT SHOULD BE KNOWN THAT THERE WERE AT THAT TIME IN THE ASSEMBLY TWENTY
MILLION BODHISATTVAS WHO TOOK DELIGHT IN LISTENING TO THE DHARMA. UPON
SEEING THIS BRIGHT LIGHT ILLUMINE ALL THE BUDDHA LANDS, ALL THE
BODHISATTVAS
OBTAINED WHAT THEY HAD NEVER HAD AND WISHED TO KNOW THE CAUSES AND
CONDITIONS FOR THIS LIGHT.

THERE
WAS AT THAT TIME A BODHISATTVA BY THE NAME OF WONDROUS LIGHT WHO HAD EIGHT
HUNDRED DISCIPLES. THE BUDDHA BRIGHTNESS OF SUN-MOON-LAMP THEN AROSE
FROM SAMADHI AND, FOR THE SAKE OF THE BODHISATTVA WONDROUS LIGHT, SPOKE A
GREAT VEHICLE SUTRA CALLED THE WONDERFUL DHARMA LOTUS FLOWER, A DHARMA FOR
INSTRUCTING BODHISATTVAS OF WHICH THE BUDDHA IS PROTECTIVE AND MINDFUL.

Commentary:

Once
again, Manjushri Bodhisattva speaks to Maitreya Bodhisattva, saying,
MAITREYA, Humane One, IT SHOULD BE KNOWN, you should know, THAT THERE WERE
AT THAT TIME IN THE ASSEMBLY, in the Dharma assembly of Sun-Moon-Lamp
Brightness Buddha, TWENTY MILLION BODHISATTVAS WHO TOOK DELIGHT IN
LISTENING TO THE DHARMA. They all liked to hear the Buddha speak the
Dharma. UPON SEEING THIS BRIGHT LIGHT emitted by the Buddha Brightness of
Sun-Moon-Lamp ILLUMINE ALL THE BUDDHA LANDS, ALL THE BODHISATTVAS gave
rise to doubts: they didn't understand.

Seeing
the Buddha emit the white hair-mark light from between his brows, which
illumined eighteen thousand Buddhalands to the east, they also OBTAINED
WHAT THEY HAD NEVER HAD/They had never seen anything like it before. AND
WISHED TO KNOW THE CAUSES AND CONDITIONS FOR THIS LIGHT. The twenty
million Bodhisattvas also wanted to know the reason for the light. Why did
the Buddha emit the light? What was the reason?

THERE
WAS AT THAT TIME A BODHISATTVA, in the Dharma assembly, BY THE NAME OF
WONDROUS LIGHT WHO HAD EIGHT HUNDRED DISCIPLES. THE BUDDHA BRIGHTNESS OF
SUN-MOON-LAMP THEN AROSE FROM SAMADHI, he came out of concentration, the
samadhi of the Station of Limitless Principles AND, FOR THE SAKE OF THE
BODHISATTVA WONDROUS LIGHT, SPOKE A GREAT VEHICLE SUTRA. It was CALLED THE
WONDERFUL DHARMA LOTUS FLOWER Sutra. It was A DHARMA door FOR INSTRUCTING
BODHISATTVAS OF WHICH THE BUDDHA IS PROTECTIVE AND MINDFUL.

Sutra:

FOR
SIXTY SMALL AEONS HE DID NOT RISE FROM HIS SEAT. THOSE ASSEMBLED LISTENING
ALSO SAT IN ONE PLACE FOR SIXTY SMALL AEONS WITH BODY AND MINDS
UNMOVING, LISTENING TO WHAT THE BUDDHA SAID AS IF IT WERE BUT THE SPACE OF
A MEAL. AT THAT TIME, IN THE ASSEMBLY, THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE PERSON WHO
GREW WEARY, EITHER PHYSICALLY OR MENTALLY.

Commentary:

When
the Buddha Sun-Moon-Lamp Brightness spoke the DHARMA FLOWER SUTRA, how
long did it take him? SIXTY SMALL AEONS. If you're talking about a long
time, sixty small aeons isn't really too long; if you're talking about a
short period of time, it isn't exactly short. One aeon is 139,600 years.
One thousand of those aeons makes one small aeon. So count it up: How long
would sixty small aeons be?

However,
one thought is ten thousand years and ten thousand years is but a single
thought. You could also say that one thought is ten thousand aeons and ten
thousand aeons is but a single thought. In the Heaven of the Four Kings
a single day and night is equivalent to fifty years here in the world of
human beings. In the Heaven of the Thirty-three, a day and night is one
hundred years among humans. One day and a night seems like a very short
space of time to them.

When
people sit in meditation, if they don't strike up false thinking they can
sit for an entire day and feel as if it were just a second. If you strike
up false thinking, it can seem as if a single second lasted, oh, who knows
how many years? You sit there, and you can't sit still. You want to quit
sitting and so

One
thought is ten thousand aeons;

Ten
thousand aeons is but a thought.

When the Buddha
Sun-Moon-Lamp Brightness was speaking the Dharma FOR SIXTY SMALL AEONS
HE DID NOT RISE FROM HIS SEAT. He spoke The Dharma Flower Sutra for sixty
small aeons. Why did it take so long? It was because everyone had entered
the "Delight in Listening Samadhi" and so that although the
Buddha spoke the Dharma, he did it from within samadhi and didn't rise for
sixty small aeons. THOSE ASSEMBLED LISTENING ALSO SAT IN ONE PLACE FOR
SIXTY SMALL AEONS, WITH BODIES AND MINDS UNMOVING. The Dharma assembly of
twenty million Bodhisattvas, gods, dragons, ghosts, and spirits and all
the Arhats, bhikshus, bhiksunis, upasakas, upasikas, and so forth and so
on...sat there listening to the Dharma for sixty small aeons.

For
example, we are now listening to Sutras. If you pay close attention and
listen single-mindedly, when the lecture is over you will feel as if a
very short space of time had passed. If you don't pay attention, what is
it like? On the one hand you listen to Sutras and on the other hand you
strike up false thinking, "Oh, it's still not over. How much time
have we got left? Take a look, would you?"

This
is like a student who said that when she sat in meditation she did not
meditate, but rather waited for the bell so she could get up and be
"liberated."

If you do that, how
can you work at your meditation? If you do that, then when you sit it will
seem like a long time to you, your legs will start to hurt and your back
will ache, but if you don't pay attention to it, there's no leg or back
pain; it's no problem. "Well, who hurts? Who aches?" Just ask,
and it disappears. They sat for sixty small aeons and did not move in body
or mind. Their bodies didn't wiggle around or lean this way and that and
their minds also did not move.

LISTENING
TO WHAT THE BUDDHA SAID/They listened to the Buddha Sun-Moon Lamp
Brightness speak the Dharma AS IF IT WERE BUT THE SPACE OF A MEAL. It was
just like the time it takes to eat a bowl of rice. AT THAT TIME, IN THE
ASSEMBLY, THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE PERSON/There wasn't a single person in
the Dharma assembly WHO GREW WEARY, EITHER PHYSICALLY OR MENTALLY. In the
Dharma assembly there wasn't a single person who grew tired, and wanted to
rest, to take a nap. Nobody wanted to rest or sleep.

If you
were one who truly listened to Sutra lectures, you wouldn't feel that it
was tiresome to sit there. You would sit there and the more you listened,
the more delighted you would become. "Ah, the Dharma is really
wonderful, inconceivably wonderful!" If you don't truly listen, you
sit there and your legs wiggle and your hands fidget and even though
there's no wind, it looks like you're being blown back and forth, leaning
all over the place. Or, perhaps you get up and pace the floor, or
you look around every which way. This is because your heart is not truly
in it; you aren't truly listening to the Sutras, and you aren't tasting
their true flavor. If you tasted the true flavor of the Sutras, I'm
telling you, nothing would be so important that it could interfere with
your attendance at the lectures. You would certainly come to listen.
"Every day that I miss a lecture, I won't eat!" you'd say. If
you pushed yourself like that, you wouldn't dare not come to listen. Say
to yourself, "If you don't go to listen, you won't get anything to
eat!" That's a wonderful dharma. Try it out, if you dare. "So
you don't want to listen to the Sutras? All right, you get no food today.
"If you go hungry for a day then next week you will think, "I'm
going to the Sutra lecture. Otherwise I'll go hungry!" Besides, not
eating is really just not receiving the food of Dharma. In listening to
the Sutras one receives the nourishment of Dharma.